Bhutan month by month
Bhutan in December
- Thimphu day / night
- 17° / −1°
- rain over the month (Thimphu)
- 4 mm
- rain days on average
- 0.7
- Punakha daily high
- 20°
December opens Bhutan’s true winter: brilliant dry days, hard-frost nights, and mountains so clear they look etched. The crowds are gone, the Dochula Druk Wangyel festival brings masked dance to a 3,100 m pass on a fixed date — 13 December — and the season’s first snow dusts the high country.
Weather
December weather, valley by valley
Daily high °C Nightly low °C Rainfall mm
Where December sits in Thimphu’s year — the reference station. The full six-town numbers:
| Town | Elevation | High °C | Low °C | Rain mm | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thimphu | 2,321 m | 16.6 | -0.8 | 4 | 0.7 |
| Paro | 2,266 m | 14.6 | 0.5 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Punakha | 1,242 m | 20.2 | 7.3 | 4 | — |
| Phobjikha | 2,900 m | 10.6 | -4.1 | 1 | — |
| Bumthang | 2,587 m | 12.9 | -2.9 | 2 | 0.4 |
| Phuentsholing | 293 m | 25.4 | 15 | 10 | — |
Station climate normals from the NCHM Climate Data Book of Bhutan, 2018 (1996–2017/18). Rain-day counts are not published for every station.
The pattern is January’s in the making: rain is near zero everywhere, afternoons in Thimphu and Paro are cool but sunny, and nights fall below freezing in most highland valleys — Phobjikha and Bumthang coldest of all. Punakha again earns its role as the warm winter refuge, frost-free and mild, which is why Thimphu–Punakha remains the standard December pairing.
Snow becomes a live possibility: valley floors see it only occasionally, but above about 3,000 m it falls regularly, and Dochula or Chele La can close for a few days after a heavy fall — keep drive days flexible. Tradition (rather than standing policy) holds that Thimphu’s first snowfall is greeted with a spontaneous public holiday.
Crowds & costs
How busy — and how pricey — is December?
Low season, with a small festive blip around the Western holidays. Hotels and flights are soft, availability is easy, and major sights are at their quietest. The SDF does not drop — it never does, in any month — but everything priced by demand does.
Festivals
Festivals in December
- Dochula Druk Wangyel Tshechu — Dochula Pass (3,100 m), 13 December (fixed date): masked dances performed at the pass amid its 108 chortens, deliberately timed to the season of the clearest Himalayan views — on a good morning the festival plays out against the full snow-peak panorama.
⚠️ Tshechu dates follow the lunar calendar and shift every year — only the Black-Necked Crane Festival (11 Nov) and Dochula Druk Wangyel (13 Dec) are fixed. Confirm final dates on bhutan.travel before you book.
What to do
What December is for
The Druk Wangyel festival is December’s centrepiece and unique in the calendar: a high-pass festival with the Himalaya as its backdrop. Beyond it, this is the month winter’s pleasures begin in earnest — the black-necked cranes are in residence in Phobjikha (numbers widely reported at their peak in December–January), the Gasa hot springs enter their traditional winter season, and low-altitude winter treks such as Samtengang and the Punakha winter route stay open, along with lower sections of the Trans-Bhutan Trail.
The Tiger’s Nest hike works well in December sunshine, with one caveat: icy patches form on shaded upper-trail mornings, so start after the frost softens and step carefully on the stone stairs.
Packing
What to pack for December
Proper winter layers: insulated jacket, warm hat, gloves and thermal base layers for mornings and evenings, over lighter layers for sunny middays. Sunglasses and sunscreen — winter light at altitude is fierce. For rural stays, confirm heating (bukhari stoves are the farmhouse tradition) and pack warm sleepwear.
The verdict
Should you visit Bhutan in December?
December is winter Bhutan at its most photogenic: the year’s clearest skies, a one-of-a-kind festival at 3,100 m, cranes, hot springs and empty trails — for travellers who pack for freezing nights. High-altitude trekkers and cold-averse itineraries should aim for spring or autumn instead.
Found your season? Plan the trip.
Little Bhutan is a locally owned operator that builds your itinerary around the weather — guide, permits, government fees and hotels included.
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